It’s amazing how redecorating a room can change the whole feel of it, and lift your spirits, but did you also know that the colours and styles you choose can even “grow” the room?
To make the best of small spaces there are ways of using paint, wallpaper and wood floors to fool the eye into thinking it’s a larger area.
Or maybe you have an average size room and you just want to make the most of it, to create a light, open space.
Either way, here are some tips to create the illusion of more space by decorating and adding finishing touches.
Use lighter hues for paint
The lighter the paint the more reflective it is, bouncing light off it making the room appear more spacious. Darker colours can absorb light, and can actually appear to “draw in” the walls and ceiling.
Up, up and away!
Painting your ceiling a lighter colour than your walls can appear to “lift” it, making your room look taller. Some people choose a really bright colour on the ceiling, to highlight how high it is, particularly if the space below is snug.
Getting the right combination of wall to ceiling colours can be discussed with your professional painter and decorator, to achieve the overall effect you need, not just the colour scheme you want.
Furnishings
Having curtains and furniture that match the colour of your walls is another way of creating the illusion of more space. A uniform expanse of one colour looks more spacious and fools the eye into thinking rooms are larger than they are. If your field of vision needs to focus on separate components and different colours, it can have the opposite effect.
Keep the curtains and other window decoration to a minimum to make as much use as possible of natural light.
Keep it simple
Once your fabulously decorated room is all done, try to put the minimum of furniture and ornaments back in, if you want it to appear larger than it is. Have you noticed how empty rooms seem so much bigger than usual? It’s because you don’t have all the distractions. As much as you love all your nick-nacks and extra furniture, they can make the room look more “closed in”.
If you have coffee tables and other furniture that can fold or stack away, it’s a great way of decluttering and creating space.
Mirror, Mirror…
Mirrors and mirrored tiles are great for creating reflective surfaces to bounce light around, optically expanding the dimensions. The same applies to glass splashbacks in kitchens and bathrooms – and any other nice, shiny surface.
Striped and stripped for action
To create a more spacious looking room, what goes at the bottom is just as important as making the ceiling look higher or the walls more reflective.
If you want floor coverings for your newly decorated room, opt for stripes if possible, as these imply movement and can create the feeling of space.
One of the best ways to make a room seem bigger is to not use carpet. Instead, have varnished wooden floors, or painted wooden floors. It is that striped effect, again, that draws the eye. Plus, wood floors can look super smart and chic, or traditional and classic, depending on what finished effects you choose. Simply having wooden floor boards (of suitable quality) professionally sanded and varnished can really lift a room that faces a “size challenge”.
Leg up and build space
Here’s a little tip for if you are buying furniture for a newly decorated lounge and want to build in the “space factor”. If you buy a sofa or armchairs that have “legs” rather than sitting them directly on the floor, that too can create the illusion of more room.
It is recommended that you don’t place larger items in a room in a uniform pattern, such as all against the walls, if you want to make it look more spacious. Place them at angles and play around until the overall effect is functional but visually appealing.
And here’s another odd but true tip. A few items of large furniture in a room creates the illusion of space, far better than lots of smaller pieces.
Ask the experts
Making the best of smaller rooms and creating the illusion of space can be discussed with the team at S & K Decorating. They have an eye for detail and the experience to bring the best modern designs and products to match your style and requirements.